Ferguson has returned to South Australia after scoring 377 runs at 94.25 in five one-day games and 390 at 48.75 across 10 T20Is for Worcestershire.

Callum Ferguson scored 377 runs at 94.25 in five one-day games for Worcestershire. @Getty

A stellar run of white-ball form in England this summer has reinvigorated discarded Australia batsman Callum Ferguson to chase a return to the top level of cricket.

Ferguson, who played the last of his 30 ODIs in April 2011, has returned to South Australia after scoring 377 runs at 94.25 in five one-day games and 390 at 48.75 across 10 T20Is for Worcestershire. As his state team gets set to launch their JLT One-Day Cup campaign, the 33-year-old said he was hopeful of getting a recall to Australia’s side in the absence of the banned Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

“The door’s open for a lot of guys to come in and make a mark,” Ferguson said on Friday. “I’d like to think I’m still in the mix to get an opportunity at some point so I’ll be trying to do the same.

“Here at the Redbacks everyone is striving for that, to be playing in the green and gold or the baggy green. I’ll certainly be striving to do that and if you’re playing in winning teams and winning trophies it puts your name up there.”

Ferguson made an immediate mark for Worcestershire after arriving in England during the Australian off-season. On debut in the Royal London One-Day Cup, he smashed 192 from 143 balls against Leicestershire to help compete the highest successful run-chase in English one-day cricket. He followed that up with 159 off 136 balls in his third game while adding a club-record second-wicket stand of 239 with Joe Clarke, a win that put Worcestershire joint first on the north table. Worcestershire were eliminated in the semi-finals, in a match in which Ferguson led the club.

In the Twenty20 Cup, his run of form helped Worcestershire into finals day: he made 35, 45, 10, 39, 102*, 6, 69, 4, 13 and 64* at a strike-rate of 141.81 and emerged as his team’s leading run-getter.

Ferguson was hopeful of extending this white-ball form into the One-Day Cup that starts September 16. “You hope that runs, wherever you count them, are going to count for something. I’ll be hoping to do a little bit more of that here at the Redbacks and certainly if I can keep putting runs on the board it’s got to give me a chance,” said Ferguson, who played a Test in November 2016.

Editorial team of CricketCountry.

First Published on September 7, 2018 12:59 PM ISTLast updated on September 7, 2018 12:59 PM IST